WHEN Ellis Short turned to Paolo Di Canio and then Gus Poyet to lead Sunderland, the intention was to plan for the future and the longer term.

After two frustrating seasons, which had Sunderland on the brink of relegation to the Championship, Short felt he required a rethink.

Dick Advocaat’s appointment is very much about the short term, in the hope that sporting director Lee Congerton can come up with a more sustainable managerial plan.

Advocaat has only signed up for a further 12 months and, barring a further delay on his decision to retire next summer, Sunderland’s American owner will be looking for a replacement. It might appear to be short term thinking, but replacing him at this stage could have presented more problems.

Sunderland could not really afford to take another risk. The players loved working with Advocaat during his initial nine-game stint and the Wearside club got under his skin, hence the tears down his face after securing Premier League survival at Arsenal in May.

And Short – who has already had to hand the managerial reins to six different managers since taking over the club - knows his latest appointment boasts the greatest CV of them all. Coming up with an alternative would have represented an even greater gamble.

Sunderland have 12 months to get it right. If Advocaat can steady the ship and bring improvements by lifting them up towards the top half rather than fighting at the bottom then that will be a start.

But behind the scenes Congerton and Short must work closely with Advocaat and listen to what he is saying; they must put his experience to good use and make sure the Dutchman’s successor can carry on seamlessly afterwards.

Advocaat has had the backing on the transfer front to make additions; the arrival of Jeremain Lens from Dynamo Kiev provides the most excitement and he has the ability to unlock defences at the highest level.

He has been a regular fixture in Holland squads and has made his mark on the Champions League, so he knows what it takes to be competing against the best. Under Advocaat, his former boss, he has a coach who knows how to get the best out of him and that should bode well for Sunderland.

Defensively, following the arrivals of Sebastien Coates, Adam Matthews and Younes Kaboul, Sunderland have plenty of options and competition for places. Coupled with Advocaat’s excellent tactics, which helped turn Sunderland around last season, then the only concern has to be at the other end of the pitch.

Jermain Defoe will score goals with the right service and there is still more work to be done if pre-season is anything to go by, where the goals have hardly flowed.

But if Advocaat can come up with a solution to the side’s long-standing goalscoring problem then Sunderland could be in for the best campaign in years.